Wristband clasp



Jan. 7, 1930. A. EKLUND WRISTBAND CLAS? Filed Jan. 8, 1929 ":l-qyall/111111111111111. '1111111111111 By ATTORNEY.` I

" Fig. 4 shows a operate the'rocker arm to grip the band.

Patented Jan. 7, 1930 strat-as Parmi FICE ALEXANDER EKVLUN 1), OFATTLEBORO, IIASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL CHAIN COMPANY, OFPROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS WRISTBAND CLASPApplication filed January S, 1929. Serial No. 330,981.

This invention relates to an improved clasp Vfor a wrist watch band; andhas for its object to provide 'a clasp of this character having abodyportion with one or more arms shaped to be hooked over the edge Vofthe adjacent portion of the band to grip and retain the free end of theband thereto.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pair' ofV oppositelyextending arms shaped to b e hooked over opposite edges of the adjacentband toembrace and grip the same to hold the band end inthe desired adjusted position.

4 The invention further consists in the forming of a wrist watch bandwith overlying parts, the en d of one part having a clamp loop throughwhich lthe other band part slidably extends to be secured in adjustedposition by the clamp, the extremity of the otherpart of the band beingprovided with a clasp having one or more arms to engage, embrace andgrip the opposite band part to secure the i'ree end of the band inyadjustable position thereto. f

lVith these and other objects in view, the

invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will bemore fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims.

In the accompanying drawings: j

Fig. 1 shows my improved form of band with overlying parts, one endhaving a clam slidably engagingthe other part of the band,

tlieffree end of said other part having a clasp to engage t-hev firstmentioned part of the band.

Fig. 2V? shows the blank of the end olasp member as struck from sheetstock.

Fig shows the blank with its sides folded. portion of the body of thisclasp member as partly folded over other portions thereof.

F ig.' 5 shows the pivoted band embracing rocker arm whichl extends fromthe side of the clasp body. V

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the slidable arm in the' clasp bodywhich is arranged to Fig. .7. is a perspective view of the springwhirchpresses against the'two embracing arms.- f

`band as adj ustably Fig. 8 is a section illustrating one of the I rm asbeing hooked around one edge ofthe Fig. 9 shows the arms as hookedaround opposite edges of the band. l

Fig. 10 shows the sliding arm as contracted to swing the rocker arm onits pivot and cause it to grip and bind the band against the body of theclasp.

Fig. 11 is a section on line 11-11 of Fig. 10.

Fig. 12` is a section on line 12-12`of Fig. 10. Fig. 18 is a view showinone part of the j exten ing through the 'clamp member and showing theunderside of the clasp at its free end..

Fig. 14 shows the end of the band as provided with a binding plate towhich the clasp is connected. j l

Fig. 15 shows the body of the clamp member as connected to one end ofthe band.

Fig. 16 shows one portion of the pivotal clamp slide through which theband adjustably extends.

Fig. 17 shows the clamp shoe.

Fig. 18 kshowsone end of the band as attached to the clamp Vand theguide shoe for the other part of the bandas pivoted tothe body of theclamp. i

Fig. 19 shows the clamp in closed position gripping the band part tendsthrough the clamp.

Fig. 20 shows the clamp as swung to released position to permit a freeendways movement of the overlying band part through the clamping member.

It is found in practice of advantage vin the construction and operationof a wrist watch band of the character adapted to have its operatinglength extended to pass over the hand 0i" the wearer, to have portionsofthe band arranged to overlie each other and to provide the end of oneoi3 these parts with a clamp member through which the other partslidably extends to be clamped in any adjusted position by manipulationof the free overlying band portion and to also provide on the extremityof this free overlying portion a clasp member having oneor more armsshaped to hook over the edge of the adjacent band portion to grip thesame and so retain which Vslidably eX- iwso lon its pivot this free endin the desired adjusted position, whereby the length of the band may beextended andalso contracted to iit the wrist of the wearer, and thefollowing is a detailed description of the clasp member and bandarrangement by which these advantageous results may be accomplished:

With reference to the drawings, 21 designates one of the band parts and22 the other band part, these parts being herein illustrated as beingformed of metal mesh fabric. The part 22 is herein described as beingprovided with a clamp member 23 through which the band part 21adjustably extends, the end of the band part 21 being provided with acla-sp 24 to secure it in any adjusted position to the band part 22.

The ends of the band parts are each provided with a binder plate 25, seeFig. 14, one edge of the binder plate being forced or recessed into theface of the metal fabricas at 26 to form a shoulder and so securelyattach this plate to the band, the shoulder also serving as a convenientmeans to which the clasp or clamp may be securely attached.

In forming the clasp member I preferably strike out a blank asillustrated in Fig. 2, fold up the sides 27 of this blank, then fold upa portion 28, as illustrated in Fig. 4; I then insert the boundend ofthe band into this body and after inserting the operating parts(presently described) -into this body, I force its edge 29 down into thegroove 26 of the band end and fold the binding lips 3() thereover tolock this clasp body to the band end.

In this clasp body, I mount a rocker arm 31, the same having a pivotalextension 32 engaging the opening 33 in the body and having a portion 34extending into the body and an arm portion 35 extending around beneaththe body andr spaced therefrom, to embrace the adjacent band part 36.Also in this body I have mounted an endways slidable arm 37, the samehaving an operating thumbpiece 38 extending through the opening 39 inthe body and having an arm portion 40 extending around beneath the bodyto cooperate with arm 35 to embrace the band portion 36; the inner endof this arm 37 is beveled as at 41 so that when pressed inward thisbevel end portion will slide under the end portion 34 of the cooperatingrocker arm to rock the same 32 and cause the projection 42 on this arm35 to penetrate the mesh of the fabric of the band and so securely bindthe ybandto the body of the clasp as best illustrated in Fig. 10. Aspring 43 is mounted in the body of the clasp to press against the innerportion of both of these arms, causing the rock arm to return andrelease the band when the opposite arm 37 is withdrawn from engagedposition.

When it is desired to employ-a clamp 23 on the overlapping portion ofthe part 22 of the band, any suitable construction of such clamp may beemployed, that herein shown being provided with a body plate 44, seeFigs. 15

and 20, which is attached to the end of the band part 22 by beingclamped to its binding plate the same as the body of the clasp 24 abovedescribed.

The edge 45 of this clamp plate is turned up and is provided withlaterally projecting pivots 46 to which the guide member 47 is pivotallyconnected.

Within this guide member I mount the shoe member 48 between which andthe back of the guide member the band part 2l is free to slide whentipped up into position illustrated in Fig. 20, and is bound in adjustedposition when swung down into the positionillustrated in Fig. 19 aadwhen swung to this lateral position the arms 35 and 37. in the end claspmember 24 are caused to be hooked around the opposite edges of the band,and then when pressed toward each other the arm member 37 is caused toride under the corresponding portion of the rock arm 35 to swing thisarm into engagement with the band to retain the free end of this band inadjustable position.

It is noted that the band-engaging end of the rock arm is materiallylonger than the corresponding end of the slide arm, necessitating thehooking of the longer arm first about the band leaving the slide armfree to be slid beneath t-he rock arm causing the latter to grip theband.

My improved construction of band with its end clamp on one end and claspon its other end is very effective in its operation as by its use theoperating length of the band may be extended to be readily passed overkthe hand of the wearer and then locked into any desired adjustableposition to lit the wrist to which it is to be applied.

The foregoing description is directed solely towards the constructionillustrated, but I desire it to be understood that I reserve 'theprivilege of resorting to all the mechanical changes to which the deviceis suscept-ible, the invention being defined and limited only by theterms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A clasp for the free ends of aV wrist watch band, including a bodymember attached to one band end and having sides and ends, a movable armmounted in said body member and extending from one side thereof underthe body member to receive a portion of the other band end between itand the body member, and manually operable means for moving the end ofthe arm toward-the body member to grip the said band end portion betweenthe arm and the body member.

2. A clasp for the free ends of a wrist watch band, including a bodymember attached to one band end and having sides and ends, a movable armmounted 'in said body member and extending from one side thereof underthe body member to receive a portion of the otherband end between it andthe body member, and manually operable means mounted in said clasp forswinging the end of the arm toward the body member to grip the said bandend portion between the arm and the body member. n

3. A clasp for the free ends of a wrist watch band, including a bodymember attached to one band end and having sides and ends, movable armsmounted in said body member and extending from the sides thereof underthe body member to receive a portion of the other band between the armsand t-he body member, one of said arms 0peratively engaging the otherarm to move said other arm towards the body member and grip said bandend portion between the end of said other arm and the body member.

4. A clasp for the free ends of a wrist watch band, including a bodymember attached to one band end and having sides and ends, movable armsmounted in said body member and extending from the sides thereof underthe body member to receive a portion of the other band between the armsand the body member, one of said arms operatively engaging the other armto swing said other arm towards the body member and grip said band endportion between the end of said other arm and the body member.

5. A clasp for a wrist watch band, including a body member secured toone end of the band and having a pair of oppositely eX- tending armsshaped to hook over opposite side edges of an adjacent part of the band,one of said arms being pivoted, the other arm being endways slidable toengage and rock said pivoted arm to grip the embraced band.

6. A clasp for a wrist watch band, including a body member having armsof different lengths extending from its opposite edges to be hookedalternately over opposite edges of the band, one arm being pivotallymounted, and the other arm being movable endways to engage the rstarmand turn it into gripping engagement with the band.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature.

ALEXANDER EKLUND.

